a look at food, fun and life in the greater Indianapolis area...

September 18, 2013

Hey y’all. I haven’t been around here as much as I’ve wanted to… and I’m blaming it on being sick recently… the flu (yuck) and an issue with my toe/foot, which has been particularly annoying (very annoying), but such a minor thing. Ok- I'm done whining.

I’m back and while you’re here I’d love it if you’d check out some of my posts at one of my gigs, Visit Hendricks County. If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out Hendricks County… fall is an ideal time to visit one of the towns (such as Avon, Brownsburg, Danville, Plainfield). I think fall is all about weekend trips and going to festivals.

I’m on Twitter and you can also send me an e-mail at indianapolisamyinfo (at) gmail (dot) com. If you are a business and interested in advertising—please consider advertising with Indianapolis Amy. E-mail me for details.

Finds/Faves is a regular thing happening on Indianapolis Amy, so let’s talk about what I’m digging lately.

Finds/Faves

magazines, personalized mug, Living proof

Fall issues

I’ve made no secret of my love for magazine stands. I really wish Indy had a magazine stand like some of the bigger cities. I’m especially a fan of fall issues. It’s the season for inspiration!

Alphabet coffee mug

I drink coffee as soon as my feet hit the floor and I adore this A coffee mug that my friends Dedria and Mike gave to me for a birthday gift. So cute! Available at Pottery Barn.

Living Proof (frizz)

I recently had a blow out and the stylist used Living Proof (frizz) products. I didn’t have any frizz, so of course I bought the travel kit. Available at Ulta.

This super moist cupcake is on my list for fall must-eats. The pumpkin cake is so moist (super moist, like I mentioned, there must be oil in the cake) and topped with addictive cream cheese frosting. It's a big portion for 1 person, so share with a few friends:) Available at The Flying Cupcake or their cupcake truck.

1 Pot Meals

Throw in one pot meals are great (some leftovers for lunch) and one of my go-tos is grean beans/wax beans, a small amount of red potatoes and some kielbasa (you can use ham or no meat if you don't want it) all in a pot with some chicken broth/stock/bouillon. Let it cook a bit (get the potatoes in there with the broth and get them mostly cooked before you add the beans) and you'll have a wonderful 1 pot meal.

Chili's not a new meal at all, but I like a chili bar (which I didn't snap a photo of). I like my chili spicy (with plenty of beans) and with plenty of veggies and dips on the side.

The very nice people at Emmi Roth (thank you!) sent me a sample of their Original Swiss Fondue. This fondue is ready to go and heat up in your fondue pot (or on the stove, if you need to and transfer to a mini crockpot). A few of us enjoyed a spread of vegetables, bread and dipped everything into the cheesy goodness (which reminded me of going to Shaffer's-- which was one of my favorite restaurants in Indy). Of course we had some wine too! One packet serves about 4 as a healthy appetizer/mini meal. Available online at the link above or at some specialty grocery/cheese shops.

One of my coworkers is friends with the owners so of course I had to try out Scribble. I tried the banh mi (around $8) (Vietnamese sandwich with thin slices of pork, a spicy mayo, radish, carrots and jalapenos) and I’m looking forward to trying more of Scribble’s menu. Also- Scribble may be one of the cutest food trucks I’ve seen. It's a mini log cabin. So awesome:)

What are some of your finds/faves lately? Leave a note in the comments.

September 12, 2013

Brownsburg is one of the towns I write about for Hendricks County (You can read my posts here) After checking out Brownsburg for the last
several months- I thought I would share a few of my favorite places.

Remember my Visiting Carmel (Part 1) series? This is Visiting Brownsburg (stay tuned for a Part 2)…and if you have any fave places- I would love to know, so send me an
email (indianapolisamyinfo (at) gmail (dot) com) or a tweet (@Indianapolisamy)

At Brownsburg’s oldest
park you’ll find plenty of activities going on- including pick up basketball
games, baseball, tennis courts, and a playground. I’m a fan of the wooded areas near White Lick Creek, where you
can walk, or enjoy a picnic lunch at one of the picnic tables. If you enjoy
taking photographs- this is a must-see.

One of my all-time
favorite treats is a cake doughnut with chocolate frosting. A warm, moist cake
doughnut with gooey chocolate frosting. Awesome! I heard many good things about
Hilligoss Bakery and I knew I had to check them out. Their cake doughnuts with
chocolate frosting are some of the best I’ve tried. Stop in for a dozen and
share with family, friends or your coworkers.

*FYI- They only accept cash
and checks. There are some ATMs located nearby. Doughnuts are around 80 cents a
piece.

I usually sit in the bar
side of Dawson’s, because it’s a fun sports bar environment and there’s usually
a game on that I want to see. But let’s talk about the food. I’m a fan of their
hand-breaded pork tenderloin sandwich (which is really more of a breaded pork
chop sandwich), fish and chips (with killer homemade tartar sauce), and fried
shrimp (also portions can be sizeable, so I usually split an entree and order a salad as well). They pour good drinks, like on their half-price martini night
(Wednesday). You can't go wrong with a combo of great food, friendly service and
a fun atmosphere. Check their web site for a list of daily specials.

I
love the name and this take on rumaki with a piece of boneless chicken, a piece
of jalapeno and rolled up, then a piece of bacon wrapped around the chicken and
the hole thing deep fried. There’s no breading- and I love the combo of
chicken, bacon and a bit of heat. These addictive bites are served with a spicy
smoky ranch-style dressing and a barbecue sauce. You can read about my visit here (for Visit Hendricks County).

I
recently stopped in Nicole-Taylor’s for some crostini, grilled vegetables and
frozen pasta and decided I was looking for something else and ordered some of the fresh ricotta. This ricotta (from NY) is the thing when
spread on crostini and topped with a tomato slice (or grilled veggies). It’s also lovely on top of a
salad or as a dessert treat with a bit of honey. It’s around $8-ish a pound, but
lasts a while and you can order as much or as little as you need.

I
enjoy being near water (whether it’s fishing or on a boat, or sitting on a deck) and I try and get to
Eagle Creek as much as I can. I recently went here to enjoy a birthday drink,
soak up some sun and enjoy the view. This drink had rum, lemonade &
Curacao. I’ll be back soon.

I
wear more skirts now that it’s a bit warmer (and summer!) and I’m always
looking for ones I can wear to work and wear on the weekend. This casual skirt
(mine is the grey/slate color) was a birthday present and I love it. The
skirt hits just above the knee (I’m shorter- so it will be different on you if
you’re tall) & it’s work appropriate. Bonus: it’s on sale too. Find it at
Nordstrom at Keystone at the Crossing.

November 06, 2012

Hey there. Where the heck did October go? The creepy decor is all put away and I'm all about the turkeys, pilgrims and pumpkins. (love honeycomb turkeys). While I appreciate the change of season-- I forget (every year it seems) that cold weather comes with it... I've been whining a bit about the cold... but my plan is to buy an electric blanket or throw (any recs are appreciated!) and drink a glass of boozy cocoa and put all cold thoughts out of my mind. Here's hoping it works.

I've got my list of "winter projects" at the ready...so we'll see how that goes. Below-- a few photos of the past few weeks or so. Hope you've been well. -A.

1. I drove through Brownsburg and saw this rainbow… I even saw a double rainbow- but missed snapping a photo. I don’t know if you wish on rainbows or what- but I did. 2. It’s all about the nails these days (I'm painting my own and adding a nail sticker or some glitter here and there so I have one nail on each hand different from the rest.) 3. W. who is a sweetheart of a cat, stops by to see me but is always staring at a bird or several birds. 4. I have a weakness for good potato skins (which are shockingly hard to find), cheesy and with a scattering of bacon. These freshly baked skins from Frank & Mary's in Pittsboro were mighty tasty. 5. Homemade ham and bean soup—with some pasta thrown in (I guess pasta fagioli-- sort of) with a side of cornbread. 6. A photo of some of the Halloween décor at home…skulls and painted fingers…and nails (all about nails again!).

*This post is titled "Confetti" b/c I've been listening the song, "Confetti" from The Lemonheads' It's a Shame About Ray (an album which still holds up very well).

p.s. I found myself glued to the coverage of Hurricane Sandy. So sad and awful for many people. Here's the link to the Red Cross for donations and more info. I also read about this organization (I read about it via Twitter)- Modest Needs- which gives relief to low-income workers (helping with rent, etc.) affected by Sandy...also if you haven't seen this Christina Aguilera performance of "Beautiful", check it out (from the Hurricane Sandy telethon on NBC).

I don't live in Hendricks County- so what you'll see in my articles is Hendricks County from a visitor's perspective. In the past few weeks I've had the opportunity to see so much in Hendricks County. And let me tell ya, there is a lot to do in Hendricks County and I'm having a blast checking out many of the towns in Hendricks County (including Avon, Brownsburg, Coatesville, Danville, Jamestown, North Salem, Pittsboro and Plainfield... that's not all of the towns)

Here's some of the places I've written about. You can click on the links below to read the articles.

If you live in Hendricks County- and you have a recommendation for a place to visit (restaurant, store, park, class or any experience in Hendricks County)...please leave me a note in the comments or drop me a line at indianapolisamyinfo (at) gmail (dot) com.

And- if you're planning a visit/trip to Hendricks County- I'd love to hear what you plan to visit/do.